Nayati Moodliar was abducted while walking to the Mont Kiara International School located in an upmarket suburb near the capital Kuala Lumpur on April 27.

He was found last Thursday by his family at a highway rest stop north of the capital where the kidnappers left him. Police said a ransom was paid.

Bakri Zinin, head of the federal crime investigation department, told AFP that police investigating the case had arrested four men and a woman in Kuala Lumpur and northern Malaysia since Monday.

The five were in custody and under investigation for kidnapping, he said.

Police are still looking for two other Malaysians, one of who is believed to have fled to Europe. Bakri said police would alert Interpol about the man.

Police have also recovered some of the ransom paid by the Moodliar family for the boy's release, though Bakri declined to reveal any figures. Local media reported the ransom was 300,000 ringgit ($100,000).

The kidnapping drew wide attention with even Prime Minister Najib Razak calling via Twitter for the safe release of the boy, who has dual Dutch and South African nationality.